Ashley Williams says his old team-mate Rickie Lambert will be the main dangerman when Swansea City head to struggling Southampton this weekend.

Ashley Williams says his old team-mate Rickie Lambert will be the main dangerman when Swansea City head to struggling Southampton this weekend.

The Swans have spent the last week or so doing battle with big guns, enjoying both the limelight and lack of pressure that comes with games against Manchester City and Chelsea.

Come Saturday, though, they head to a Southampton side stuck to the bottom of the table, without a win in five and spending the week wondering whether manager Nigel Adkins will be in charge for the St Mary’s Stadium fixture.

Adkins, who had conceded following Monday night’s defeat to West Brom that it was accurate he should be favourite to be sacked, was at least told on Tuesday he shall be in the dug-out for the visit of Michael Laudrup’s men after talks with Saints executive chairman.

Yet, with four points from a possible 30 and a division-low 28 goals conceded, the stay of execution is not expected to last for long should Swansea pick up a fourth win of the season.

Yet, having gone from lower league hopeful to Premier class defender himself, Swans star Williams knows there will be a desperation to succeed from the newly-promoted Saints.

And especially from leading scorer Lambert, the physical frontman having tasted life down the divisions alongside Williams at Stockport County.

The pair were together at the Edgeley Road club a decade ago before impressing on their way to the top, one stopping goals and one scoring them with Lambert hitting 31 in the Saints’ promotion last term.

And Williams said: “He’s a great player and it will be a tough game.

“We played together at Stockport and I know Rickie quite well. I know Southampton have had some difficult results, but I think he’s playing with a lot of confidence.

“It will be nice to go up against them and I’m sure there will be a bit of banter on the pitch between us.

“But we know how tough a game it will be for us. We can be pleased about recent results and the way we embraced the challenge of playing Man City, Liverpool and Chelsea.

“And what we did in that week can be important for the whole year because we really came together as a team.

“But, although everyone knows how tough it is to play teams like that who are some of the best in the world, Southampton is arguably a harder game for different reasons. We’re playing away from home against a good team and we have to be ready for it.”

Lambert has been one of the few Saints to impress this term, manager Adkins – a former boss of Welsh Premier side Bangor City – having faced criticism when he dropped the Scouse striker last month with club legend Matt Le Tissier underlining his value to the struggling side.

“The whole stadium and the team seem to shrink when Rickie Lambert comes off,” said former Dell ace turned pundit Le Tissier. “I think the manager underestimates the influence a player’s personality can have on all those players around him.

“Without him, we lose impetus and momentum.”

Although it is at the back where Southampton’s problems have come this term – conceding nine more than second worse QPR – Swansea will be wary of the hosts’ ability to find the net themselves, hitting 14 despite their issues.

And Swans boss Laudrup could face a decision as who to partner Williams to keep an eye on Lambert and co, Chico Flores expected back in training today after recovering from a dead leg but having seen club captain Garry Monk impress against Chelsea in his absence.

WalesOnline is part of Media Wales, publisher of the Western Mail, South Wales Echo, Wales on Sunday and the seven Celtic weekly titles, offering you unique access to our audience across Wales online and in print.